Method for operating a container transport arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a container transport arrangement having a separating device (5) which has at least one pair of conveying rollers with two conveying rollers (6) arranged along a longitudinal direction (L) and a drive device which drives the conveying rollers (6) rotationally in opposite directions, wherein the conveying rollers (6) are spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction in such a way that the containers are moved along the longitudinal direction (L) in a conveying channel (7) arranged between the conveying rollers (6), wherein, in an emptying mode, a removal device (9) brings about a removal of a multiplicity of containers arranged directly one behind the other from the conveying channel (7).

Description

[0001] and re je ws ki • h on ke

[0002] Patent and lawyers

[0003] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0004] Method for operating a container transport arrangement

[0005] Description:

[0006] The invention relates to a method for operating a container transport arrangement with a singulation device, which has at least one pair of conveyor rollers with two conveyor rollers arranged in a longitudinal direction and a drive device which drives the conveyor rollers in opposite directions, wherein the conveyor rollers are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction such that the containers are moved along the longitudinal direction on a conveyor lane arranged between the conveyor rollers.

[0007] Container transport systems are generally known from the prior art, with singulation devices serving to align containers from an initially disordered state and arrange them one behind the other so that they can be fed to a downstream processing machine. Such singulation devices are also commonly referred to as roller sorters, since the rotary movement of the conveyor rollers allows for both singulation and sorting of the containers during their movement along the conveyor lane.

[0008] The invention relates in particular to container transport arrangements from the beverage industry, such that the containers are in particular preforms, which are formed into beverage containers in forming equipment, e.g., in blow molding machines or stretch blow molding machines. The forming process is usually carried out by plastic deformation of the preforms, for which they are made of a thermoplastic material, in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and are heated and softened in a suitable manner, and then, e.g., by applying a pressure.

[0009] Patent and lawyers

[0010] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0011] 2

[0012] Internal pressure is used to expand beverage containers. These beverage containers are primarily beverage bottles.

[0013] To ensure an uninterrupted manufacturing process, preforms must be continuously fed into the container handling system. These are usually prefabricated and must first be separated and aligned from a storage container.

[0014] Against this background, singulation devices are typically equipped with a so-called inclined conveyor, which takes the preforms from a storage container and transports them upwards along a vertical direction. From there, the preforms then enter the conveying lane of the singulation device via a hopper inlet, the width of which is defined by the distance between the two conveyor rollers of the corresponding pair of conveyor rollers.

[0015] It should be noted that the preforms, in a separated and sorted state, rest on the conveyor rollers with their so-called neck rings and are continuously thrown upwards by the counter-rotating conveyor rollers. Accordingly, the conveyor rollers have a vertically upward direction of rotation in the conveyor lane.

[0016] The neck ring is a section of the preform that is located below the container opening of the preform and projects radially outwards. An external thread is usually provided above the neck ring, allowing a cap to be screwed onto the preform or the resulting beverage container. Accordingly, the container opening is a...

[0017] Patent and lawyers

[0018] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0019] 3

[0020] The area of ​​the preform that is not plastically deformed itself. Below the neck ring is the actual area that is subject to plastic deformation.

[0021] The conveyor rollers are arranged essentially parallel to one another, whereby "essentially parallel" within the scope of the invention means that the axes of rotation of the conveyor rollers may only deviate from each other by a maximum of 5%. Due to the upward throwing motion of the conveyor rollers, the preforms align themselves such that the container opening points upwards, while the area of ​​the preforms to be subsequently formed is located between the conveyor rollers in the conveying lane. Furthermore, by tilting the conveyor rollers relative to a vertical axis, transport in the conveying direction can also be achieved.

[0022] Corresponding designs are known, for example, from EP 2 892 661 A1 and from WO 2011 / 069268 A1.

[0023] In practice, it is common for the container transport system to need to be emptied for various purposes. This can be necessary for maintenance, for example, requiring at least individual components of the system, such as the singulation unit, to be emptied. Furthermore, it may be necessary to empty all components. For instance, it is common for different container types to be formed sequentially within a container processing system, each requiring different preforms. Consequently, the containers already in the system can no longer be used, necessitating a complete emptying before such a format change.

[0024] Patent and lawyers

[0025] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0026] 4

[0027] The containers in the container transport arrangement must be emptied. Several methods for doing this are known from practical experience.

[0028] For example, a manually or automatically operated gate can be provided downstream of the singulation unit, which directs the containers out of the singulation unit behind an outlet. In this context, an outlet is understood to be the point within the singulation unit where the conveyor rollers end. While this design has generally proven effective, the containers must first pass through the entire singulation unit, which is a disadvantage, particularly with regard to rapid emptying. Furthermore, it should be noted that emptying is only possible if the containers are sorted and arranged sequentially in the conveyor lane, similar to the production process, which significantly limits the time required for emptying.

[0029] Finally, the operation cannot be sufficiently automated because, with the container transport arrangements known to date, there is no automated way to pick up the containers being conveyed from the lock between the transition from singulation devices to the subsequent system components. Consequently, a suitable transport box must be manually set up to receive the conveyed containers.

[0030] Against this background, the present invention aims to provide a method that enables rapid emptying of a container transport arrangement of the type described above and simultaneously enables automated emptying.

[0031] Patent and lawyers

[0032] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0033] 5

[0034] The subject matter and solution of this problem is a method according to claim 1 and a container treatment plant set up for this purpose according to claim 14. Accordingly, the invention provides that in an emptying operation a removal device effects the removal of a plurality of containers arranged directly one behind the other from the conveying lane.

[0035] Accordingly, a removal device is provided which removes the containers directly from the conveyor aisle, so that they do not have to traverse the entire conveyor aisle before the singulation unit can be emptied. In this context, a plurality of containers arranged in series is understood to mean a number of at least 5, preferably at least 10, and particularly preferably at least 20 containers. The emptying process ends immediately as soon as no further containers are being transported within the conveyor aisle.

[0036] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the removal device is connected to a sensor device which detects misaligned containers in a production plant and, based on the information transmitted by the sensor device, causes the removal of containers from the conveyor aisle exclusively identified by the sensor device, and wherein, during the emptying operation, the removal device causes the containers to be removed from the conveyor aisle without involving the sensor device.

[0037] The invention takes advantage of the fact that generic container transport arrangements may already have a corresponding removal device, although these removal devices are not intended to empty the singulation device. Rather, such removal devices are used to...

[0038] Patent and lawyers

[0039] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0040] 6

[0041] During production, the system is designed to remove misaligned containers from the conveyor aisle. A sensor detects these misaligned containers, defined as any position where the container's neck ring is not in contact with the conveyor rollers and the container body does not extend between the rollers into the conveyor aisle. Upon detecting such a misaligned container, the sensor sends a signal to the removal mechanism, which then initiates the removal of only that specific misaligned container. This is therefore a targeted, isolated intervention in the production process, removing only individual containers from the conveyor aisle, rather than multiple containers arranged in a row.

[0042] As soon as the container transport system is switched to emptying mode, the removal device also operates continuously and removes the containers without involving the sensor system. Accordingly, all containers arranged in the conveyor lane are transported from the singulation unit, regardless of their orientation. This design has the advantage that the method can be retrofitted to a large number of container transport systems already in use, since these systems already have a mechanism for removing the containers from the conveyor lane not only at the outlet of the singulation unit, but also during transport.In principle, the drive unit can also be switched off during emptying, provided that it is ensured that the containers reach the area of ​​the unloading device even without rotary transport. This is particularly possible if the rotation of the conveyor rollers is primarily intended to align and sort the containers, while the other functions are not.

[0043] Patent and lawyers

[0044] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0045] 7

[0046] Transport is achieved primarily or exclusively by the inclined position of the conveyor rollers. Of course, it is also possible to operate both the discharge unit and the drive unit during emptying. This has the advantage that containers located behind the discharge unit can also be removed via the familiar gate at the outlet, allowing the emptying process to be carried out as quickly as possible.

[0047] According to a further development of the invention, the removal device has at least one fluid nozzle arranged below the conveyor lane, wherein a fluid flow generated by the fluid nozzle moves the containers upwards out of the conveyor lane, at least in a vertical direction. Accordingly, during production, a fluid flow is selectively generated via the at least one fluid nozzle, which is designed to remove many aligned containers from the conveyor lane. In this context, a vertical direction means a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, the vertical direction is also perpendicular to a plane defined by the axes of rotation of the conveyor rollers. This plane is therefore also parallel to the longitudinal direction.

[0048] During emptying, the at least one fluid nozzle is oriented for continuous operation and thus generates a fluid flow directed vertically upwards throughout the entire emptying process. Naturally, it is also within the scope of the invention that the at least one fluid nozzle does not exclusively generate a fluid flow directed vertically upwards. Rather, it can also be provided that the outlet of the at least one fluid nozzle is inclined in a transverse direction, which makes it easier to remove the containers from the conveyor aisle over the conveyor rollers.

[0049] Patent and lawyers

[0050] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X28 185 / G / Ve)

[0051]

[0052] Furthermore, it can also be advantageous to provide at least two fluid nozzles arranged one behind the other in a longitudinal direction below the conveyor lane. In both cases, a fluid flow is generated in a vertical direction, whereby the two fluid nozzles can be oriented identically or differently with regard to any possible transverse inclination. The fluid flow is primarily an airflow. It can also be advantageous to operate the fluid nozzles with a different fluid flow during emptying operation compared to production operation. For example, it may be beneficial to provide a higher volume flow during emptying operation than during production operation so that as many containers as possible in the singulation unit can be removed from the conveyor lane.

[0053] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one fluid nozzle is arranged at an angle between 85° and 95° to the longitudinal direction. It may also be advantageous to arrange the fluid nozzle at exactly an angle of 90° to the longitudinal direction.

[0054] According to a further development of the invention, the containers are introduced into the conveyor aisle via an inclined conveyor. This inclined conveyor essentially consists of an inclined conveyor and a storage container upstream of the inclined conveyor. The storage container is usually formed together with the inclined conveyor, wherein the inclined conveyor has a circumferentially movable conveyor belt with a plurality of circumferentially arranged crossbeams, wherein, during conveying, one or more containers rest on the crossbeams and are conveyed upwards in a vertical direction by means of the inclined conveyor.

[0055] Patent and lawyers

[0056] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0057] 9

[0058] Accordingly, the inclined conveyor already provides a degree of singulation of the containers, as they are taken from the storage container in portions. From there, the containers are conveyed in portions from above into the conveyor lane of the singulation device. An additional distribution device may be provided behind the inclined conveyor, which transports the containers from the inclined conveyor to the conveyor lane. This distribution device can also be designed as a circulating conveyor belt, but in this case, a certain degree of uniformity and arrangement of the containers is achieved.

[0059] Based on such a design, during emptying operations, the containers removed from the conveyor lane can be fed back to the storage hopper of the inclined conveyor via a return device. The inclined conveyor can then further include a discharge device through which the containers arranged in the storage hopper are removed from the inclined conveyor. The invention takes advantage of the fact that, in known container transport arrangements with a removal device in the area of ​​the singulation unit, a return flow towards the storage hopper occurs. This return device can be designed as a conveyor belt and / or a return chute, either sectionally or continuously. Combinations of a sectionally arranged conveyor belt and a subsequent chute are also conceivable.During production, misaligned containers are returned to the storage hopper via the return system. From there, the containers can be fed back to the singulation unit via the inclined conveyor.

[0060] Furthermore, the conveying system can then have a discharge device through which the containers are removed from the storage container. Here, zuan nd re je ws ki • h on ke

[0061] Patent and lawyers

[0062] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0063] 10

[0064] Note that the storage container itself is designed as a structural unit with the inclined conveyor and cannot usually be removed. When new containers are used, they are inserted into the storage container and then formed during production. After completion of production, the containers still in the storage container must be removed. The design according to the invention allows for the simultaneous removal of containers from both the inclined conveyor and the singulation unit. Accordingly, it is sufficient if only one discharge device is provided, thus enabling emptying in a particularly space-saving manner. The discharge device can be connected to the inclined conveyor via a diverter assembly. Furthermore, the diverter assembly connects to the roller sorter or the distribution unit.In a first position of the switch arrangement, the preforms are then transported by the inclined conveyor along a first transport path into the roller sorter and in a second position of the switch arrangement into the discharge device.

[0065] A preferred embodiment provides that the containers are transported upwards from the storage containers via the inclined conveyor of the conveying device, and that during emptying, the containers are discharged behind the inclined conveyor via the discharge device. Thus, the containers are not fed from the inclined conveyor into the singulation device, but rather into the separate discharge device. This could, for example, be a controllable flap over which the containers fall downwards from the inclined conveyor. A transport box can be arranged below the discharge device for this purpose. Alternatively, a flexible container can be arranged at the discharge device into which the discharged containers are placed. By transferring the

[0066] Patent and lawyers

[0067] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0068] 11

[0069] In the container transport arrangement for the emptying operation, the containers are thus removed from the storage container via the discharge device in parallel, and at the same time the containers already in the singulation device are fed into the storage container, so that the containers arranged in the singulation device can also be removed via the discharge device.

[0070] In addition, it can be provided that, during the emptying process, the containers are immediately fed to a secondary discharge device after being removed from the conveyor lane. This secondary discharge device is, in particular, the previously described airlock, which is located downstream of an outlet in the conveyor lane. With this configuration, all containers can thus be removed from the singulation unit particularly quickly.

[0071] A further development of the method provides that, during a puncture operation, the containers are fed from the singulation unit to a feeding device. This feeding device is, in particular, a compressed air-operated transport device or a transport chute. In the case of the compressed air-operated transport devices, the containers are transported exclusively by means of compressed air, so that the transport lane formed in the feeding device is arranged essentially parallel to the floor. In the case of the feeding chute, the conveying lane is arranged at an angle, so that the containers are moved along the transport lane solely by their own weight. Regardless of the design, the transport lane has two transport rails arranged in the transport direction, which are spaced apart from each other such that the containers are held by a neck ring on the other side.

[0072] Patent and lawyers

[0073] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X28 185 / G / Ve)

[0074] 12

[0075] The transport rails rest on the container body, which extends downwards through the transport rail.

[0076] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the containers formed as preforms are fed to a forming device during production, starting from the container transport arrangement. This forming device is, in particular, a blow molding device or a stretch blow molding device. In both cases, the beverage containers are formed by pressurizing them with a blowing fluid. This blowing fluid is, for example, compressed air or the product to be filled into the container, e.g., a beverage. Such a process is also commonly referred to as a form-fill process. For this purpose, the forming device has a plurality of blow molds arranged circumferentially on a rotatable carrier, which are usually formed from at least two blow mold halves that can be pivoted relative to each other.The blow mold halves form an inner contour against which the preforms are pressed during the application of the blowing fluid, and the inner contour has the shape of the beverage containers to be produced.

[0077] To ensure proper forming, a heating device is preferably installed upstream of the rotatable carrier. The containers are transported through this heating device, which heats the preforms. During heating, the containers soften and can thus be more easily plastically deformed. The heating device is typically connected to a dividing star of the heating element. This dividing star can, for example, be designed as a sawtooth star and divides the containers, arranged one behind the other within the feeding device, into a predetermined spacing relative to each other. The spacing is determined by the distance between the [unclear - possibly referring to a specific product or service or product].

[0078] Patent and lawyers

[0079] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0080] 13

[0081] The receiving pockets are formed in a sawtooth star pattern. This division corresponds to the division within the heating device. From the heating device, the containers are transferred to the forming unit. In a stretch blow molding machine, a so-called stretching bar is also inserted along the container axis during the blow molding process. This stretching bar causes a certain axial elongation of the containers. Simultaneously, additional blow molding fluid can be applied via the stretching bar.

[0082] According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, a first type of container is removed during the emptying process, and a second type of container is fed in during the subsequent production process. The containers of the first and second type can differ from each other. In particular, the containers can differ from each other by at least one physical parameter. These physical parameters can be, for example, the size, the material, or the color.

[0083] The invention further relates to a container handling system according to claim 14, comprising a container transport arrangement with a singulation device, which has at least one pair of conveyor rollers with two conveyor rollers arranged along a longitudinal direction and a drive device by which the conveyor rollers can be driven in opposite directions, wherein the conveyor rollers are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction such that the containers can be moved along a conveying lane arranged between the conveyor rollers along the longitudinal direction, and wherein a control device is provided for controlling an associated removal device during an emptying operation in the manner of the invention. In principle, all the aforementioned [unclear] can be [unclear]

[0084] Patent and lawyers

[0085] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0086] 14

[0087] The described features can also be adopted for the container treatment plant according to the invention.

[0088] The container processing plant is, in particular, a forming plant, specifically including a stretch blow molding unit which connects to the singulation unit in the transport direction. The arrangement is preferably as described above, with a direct connection being possible. However, it is also conceivable that the stretch blow molding unit could be connected indirectly via a feeding unit connected to the singulation unit.

[0089] The invention will now be explained in more detail using exemplary embodiments. The figures shown are:

[0090] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a container transport arrangement according to the invention.

[0091] Fig. 2 shows a lateral sectional view in the area of ​​the singulation device.

[0092] Fig. 1 shows a container transport arrangement for singulating and aligning preforms 1, which are fed from the container transport arrangement to a stretch blow molding machine in which the preforms 1 are formed into beverage bottles by plastic deformation. Accordingly, the preforms 1 are made of a thermoplastic material, in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and are first heated in a heating device (not shown) downstream of the container transport arrangement and then formed into beverage bottles by applying compressed air.

[0093] Patent and lawyers

[0094] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X28 185 / G / Ve)

[0095] 15

[0096] The preforms 1 are initially located in a storage container 2 shown in Fig. 1 and are conveyed upwards in the vertical direction H from the storage container 2 via a vertical conveyor. The vertical conveyor 3 removes several preforms 1 portion by portion from the storage container 2 via crossbeams, and the preforms 1 are then fed from the vertical conveyor 3 into the singulation device 5 via a distribution device 4.

[0097] The singulation device 5 is designed as a so-called roller sorter and, according to Fig. 2, has a pair of conveyor rollers with two conveyor rollers 6 driven in opposite directions along a longitudinal direction L, which are spaced apart from each other in such a way that the preforms 1 rest with their neck ring on the conveyor rollers 6, whereby, due to the counter-rotating motion, the preforms 1 are continuously thrown upwards during their transport along the longitudinal direction L, whereby they are sorted one behind the other and extend with their container body through the conveying lane 7 formed by the conveyor rollers 2.

[0098] A feeding device 8 is arranged at the outlet of the singulation device 5, through which the preforms 1 enter the downstream stretch blow molding unit. According to the example shown in Fig. 1, this feeding device 8 is designed as a transport chute. However, it is also possible to design it as a compressed air-operated transport device, in which case the preforms 1 are transported by being supplied with compressed air.

[0099] Patent and lawyers

[0100] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0101] 16

[0102] It is known from practice that a removal device 9 is arranged below the conveyor lane 7, which, as shown in Fig. 2, consists of two fluid nozzles 10 arranged one behind the other and oriented at an angle of 90° to the longitudinal direction L and thus along a vertical direction V. These fluid nozzles 10 serve to convey individual preforms 1 from the conveyor lane 7 during production. These preforms pass over the conveyor rollers 6 and descend to a return device 11, which has a conveyor belt 12 in the area of ​​the singulation device 5. From there, the preforms 1 return to the storage container 2 via a return chute 13, which is shown in Fig. 1. With this design, it is possible to detect misaligned preforms 1.For this purpose, a sensor device (not shown) is typically provided, which detects misaligned preforms 1 during production and initiates removal via the removal device 9. This prevents the misaligned preforms 1 from entering the downstream stretch blow molding unit, where their misalignment could lead to production downtime or damage to the system.

[0103] The invention has recognized that this removal device 9 is also suitable for rapidly emptying the container transport system and, in particular, the singulation device 5 during an emptying operation. For this purpose, the sensor device is deactivated and the fluid nozzles 10 are set to continuous operation. Accordingly, there is no selective discharge of misaligned preforms 1, but rather the discharge of the entire preform chain, which returns to the storage container 2 via the return device 11. A discharge device 14 is then provided at an upper end of the inclined conveyor 3, through which the preforms 1 are discharged from the storage container 2.

[0104] Patent and lawyers

[0105] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve)

[0106] 17

[0107] can. For this purpose, for example, a transport box or flexible packaging can be placed below the discharge device 14.

[0108] Patent and lawyers

[0109] PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X28 185 / G / Ve)

[0110] 18

[0111] Reference symbol list

[0112] 1 preform

[0113] 2 storage containers

[0114] 3 inclined conveyors

[0115] 4 Distribution device

[0116] 5 Singling device

[0117] 6 conveyor rollers

[0118] 7 Fördergasse

[0119] 8 Feeding device

[0120] 9 Sampling device

[0121] 10 fluid nozzles

[0122] 11 Return device

[0123] 12 Conveyor belt

[0124] 13 Return chute

[0125] 14 Discharge device

[0126] L Longitudinal direction

[0127] V vertical direction

[0128] H Altitude

Claims

and re je ws ki • h on ke Patent and lawyers PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve) Patent claims:

1. Method for operating a container transport arrangement with a singulation device (5) which has at least one pair of conveyor rollers with two conveyor rollers (6) arranged along a longitudinal direction (L) and a drive device which drives the conveyor rollers (6) in opposite directions, wherein the conveyor rollers (6) are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction such that the containers are moved along the longitudinal direction (L) in a conveyor lane (7) arranged between the conveyor rollers (6), wherein in an emptying operation a removal device (9) causes a plurality of containers arranged directly one behind the other to be removed from the conveyor lane (7).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the removal device (9) is connected to a sensor device which detects misaligned containers in a production plant and the removal device (9) causes the removal of containers from the conveyor aisle exclusively by the sensor device and wherein the removal device (9) causes the removal of the containers from the conveyor aisle (7) during the emptying operation without involving the sensor device.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the extraction device (9) has at least one fluid nozzle (10) arranged below the conveying lane (7), wherein a fluid flow generated by the fluid nozzle (10) moves the containers upwards out of the conveying lane (7) at least in a vertical direction (V).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one fluid nozzle (10) continuously generates a fluid flow during the emptying operation. Patent and lawyers PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X28 185 / G / Ve) 5. Method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the at least one fluid nozzle (10) is arranged at an angle between 85° and 95° to the longitudinal direction (L).

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the containers are introduced into the conveying lane (7) via a rising conveying device.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein during the emptying operation the containers removed from the conveying lane (7) are fed via a return device (11) to a storage container (2) of the inclined conveying device and wherein the inclined conveying device has a discharge device (14) via which the containers arranged in the storage container (2) are discharged from the inclined conveying device.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the containers are transported vertically upwards from the storage container (2) via a conveyor (3) of the conveying device and wherein, during the emptying operation, the containers are discharged behind the conveyor (3) via the discharge device (14).

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the containers are fed to a secondary discharge device immediately after removal from the conveying lane (7) during the emptying operation.

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein during the emptying operation all containers are removed from the other jewelry store. Patent and lawyers PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X 28 185 / G / Ve) 3 singulation device (5) and preferably all containers are discharged from the inclined conveying device (3).

11. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the containers are fed from the singulation device (5) to a feeding device (8) during a production operation, wherein the feeding device (8) is designed as a compressed air-operated transport device or as a transport chute.

12. Method for operating a stretch blow molding plant with a stretch blow molding device and a container transport arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the containers designed as preforms (1) are fed to a forming device during production operation starting from the container transport arrangement.

13. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a first type of container is removed during the emptying operation and a second type of container is supplied in a subsequent production operation.

14. Container handling system with a container transport arrangement comprising a singulation device (5), which has at least one pair of conveyor rollers with two conveyor rollers (6) arranged along a longitudinal direction (L) and a drive device by which the conveyor rollers (6) can be driven to rotate in opposite directions, wherein the conveyor rollers (6) are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction such that the containers can be moved along the longitudinal direction (L) in a conveyor lane (7) arranged between the conveyor rollers (6). Patent and lawyers PCT - Patent application January 26, 2026 KHS GmbH (X28 185 / GA / e) 4 and wherein a control device is configured to control an associated withdrawal device during an emptying operation according to one of the preceding claims.

15. Container treatment plant according to claim 14 with a stretch blow molding device which connects to the singulation device (5) in the transport direction.

Images